Plan a Community Project

Tree planting events are a good way to engage community members in a project that beautifies the community and improves water quality.

Trees protect waterbodies by providing shade, limiting erosion, and absorbing excess stormwater and runoff pollution.

Helpful Resources:

• Trees for Wildlife Event Planning Guide, National Wildlife Federation

• Living Along a Kentucky Stream, UK Cooperative Extension Service

• Planting Along Your Stream, Pond, or Lake, UK Cooperative Extension Service 

• Tree Planting Demonstration video, UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

Community and youth groups are often looking for service projects.  A creek cleanup can show immediate impact!

Litter pickups can be conducted along a stream, river or lake, in your neighborhood, or on public property.

Helpful Resources:

• Cleanup Guide, Kentucky Waterways Alliance

• Tips on Handling Litter, Bluegrass Greensource

• Organize Your River Cleanup, American Rivers (applies to creeks too!)

• Kentucky’s Litter Abatement Program for local and state support, Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet

• Your County Solid Waste Department

• Ohio River Sweep, can help with supplying shirts, bags, and gloves 

• How to Conduct a Litter Pickup, Stream Style!, Missouri Stream Team

Help draw attention to the fact that water that enters storm drains goes STRAIGHT to a natural waterway, rather than the local treatment plant.

Helpful Resources: 

• Storm Drains, Bluegrass Greensource

• Lexington’s Adopt-A-Storm Drain Program, Lexington Fayette Urban County Government 

• Storm Drain Stenciling How-To Manual, Missouri Stream Team

Create a rain garden in a low area of your lawn where stormwater runoff can collect and slowly percolate into the ground. This reduces flooding and filters out pollutants!

Helpful Resources:

• Rain Gardens for Health Rivers and Streams: An At-Home Guide to Improving Water Quality, Cumberland River Compact

• Rain Garden Manual, Bluegrass Greensource 

Organize a group outing to appreciate your waterway firsthand and enjoy some kindred nature lovers!

Helpful Resources:

• Blue Water Trails, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources

• Kentucky Tourism Paddling Info

• Canoe Kentucky

• Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort

Create habitat areas that support local wildlife and provide important ecological functions.

Helpful Resources:

• Certified Backyard Habitats, Kentucky Waterways Alliance

• Kentucky Habitat Improvement Program, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife

• Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Natural Resources Conservation Service 

Live stakes are branches cut from trees, most often willow trees. They are planted along streams to stabilize banks with their root system and provide other riparian benefits.

Helpful Resources:
Video on Planting Live Stakes, Friends of Curry's Fork 

Guide to Harvesting and Planting Live Stakes for Stream Restoration, Alabama Extension

Source for live stakes, Native Forest Nursery

Informational signs in public spaces can help build awareness and educate the community about their local waterways and watersheds, as well as other basic water quality concepts.

Helpful Resources:
What is a Watershed? sign example

Common Pollutants sign example

Stream Buffer sign example

Lake Eutrophication sign example

The KWN is a network of watershed groups across Kentucky that work together and support each other to increase collective impact to improve water quality for the wildlife & people who rely on clean water. KWA & the Kentucky Watershed Network will provide general and technical support & resources on how to get started and move forward on water quality issues, solutions, and actions.  

More info is available here.

Helpful Resources:

Planning a Stream Walk, Alabama Water Watch

Streamwalk Guidance, Trout in the Classroom